Jake Flaherty, a 2014 Bucknell graduate and a former wide receiver, returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in the summer of 2017. Flaherty will work with the Bucknell running backs while also serving as the assistant recruiting coordinator.

Flaherty first joined the Bison football program as a student-athlete in 2010, the same year that Joe Susan took over as head coach. Flaherty persevered through four major knee injuries throughout his career, receiving the 2012 Bobby Pangburn Memorial Award and the 2013 Moxie Award.

Flaherty was on the way to a big junior year, as he led the team with 23 receptions for 228 yards and a touchdown through six games, before suffering his fourth ACL injury. A double-major in history and religion, he served as a student assistant coach as a senior in 2013, when he was unable to play due to the injury.

Flaherty’s coaching career began the summer before his senior year at Bucknell, when he worked as a training camp coaching intern with the Dallas Cowboys. After graduation, Flaherty headed to Montana State University as an offensive quality control analyst, where he was involved with an offense that ranked in the top 10 in nearly every Football Championship Subdivision statistical category.

A year later, Flaherty went south to the University of Miami, where he served as a graduate assistant coach working with the wide receivers and tight ends. A year ago, he worked closely with wideout Ahmmon Richards, a Freshman All-American who broke the Miami freshman record for receiving yards, and Stacy Coley, who ranked second in school history in career receptions.

In the area of recruiting, Flaherty assisted with on-campus visits, contacted recruits via social media and advance-evaluated prospects from the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In December 2016, Flaherty received a Master of Arts & Liberal Studies degree from Miami with a 3.81 grade-point average.

Flaherty comes from a prominent football family. His father, Harry, played linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL). His grandfather, Jim Garrett, was a longtime NFL scout and assistant coach. His uncle, Jason Garrett, is a former NFL quarterback and currently the Cowboys’ head coach. His uncle, John Garrett, played wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals and was recently named head coach at Lafayette. Another uncle, Judd Garrett, is the Cowboys’ director of pro scouting. Jake’s brother, Harry Jr., played tight end at Princeton from 2007-10, and his cousin, Andrew Rodriguez, was a linebacker at Army and won the AAU’s James E. Sullivan Award, given to the nation’s top amateur athlete.

RECRUITING AREAS: Local Area Out to State College East of Route 99, North and South of Route 80, Harrisburg, York, Western New York Alternate Areas: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island